Nita M. Lowey, who represented the 20th congressional district and, later, the 17th congressional district in Westchester County for a total of 32 years, died on March 15 at her home in Harrison, NY. She was 87.

Ms. Lowey, an ardent supporter of liberal causes, served on the House Appropriations Committee for nearly all her time in Washington, rising to be the first woman to lead it.

Rep. Henry J. Hyde, an Illinois House Republican who tangled with Ms. Lowey, cautioned colleagues not to be misled by her kindly demeanor. “She can make you smile while you’re bleeding,” Mr. Hyde said. “We call that the perfumed ice pick.”

Her areas of focus included women’s rights to abortion and health services, greater federal funding for homeless programs, low-cost housing, child care and early education programs.

In her reelection races, Ms. Lowey never had a Democratic opponent, and she won the general elections by substantial or overwhelming margins. She had no opponent at all in 2016.

[A personal note: Ms. Lowey represented Westchester County’s 20th congressional district while this editor was then an editor for S.I. Communications, a group of community newspapers covering The North Bronx to Bedford/Lewisboro. I frequently spoke with Ms. Lowey about her latest cause, which was always, “…the most important issue of the day, Sara.”  Frequently, it was.]   SMB